After focusing on Taiwanese projects for its first three years, the pitching section of Taiwan Creative Content Fest (Tccf) opened its doors to international projects for the first time this year.
The move attracted 539 projects from 20 regions including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Iran, France and the U.S. After a selection process overseen by four separate juries, the applications were whittled down to 43 across four sections: Project to Screen, divided further into Feature Films and Series; Animation Features & Series; and Documentary Features & Series.
The feature film section includes projects from leading filmmakers such as Japanese director Koji Fukada, Indonesia’s Edwin, the Philippines’ Sheron Deyoc (Women Of The Weeping River) and Japan-based, Indian-origin filmmaker Anshul Chauhan (December).
Tccf pitching also includes an additional ten Taiwanese IPs that have strong potential for adaptations. These include books, webtoons and...
The move attracted 539 projects from 20 regions including Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, Iran, France and the U.S. After a selection process overseen by four separate juries, the applications were whittled down to 43 across four sections: Project to Screen, divided further into Feature Films and Series; Animation Features & Series; and Documentary Features & Series.
The feature film section includes projects from leading filmmakers such as Japanese director Koji Fukada, Indonesia’s Edwin, the Philippines’ Sheron Deyoc (Women Of The Weeping River) and Japan-based, Indian-origin filmmaker Anshul Chauhan (December).
Tccf pitching also includes an additional ten Taiwanese IPs that have strong potential for adaptations. These include books, webtoons and...
- 10/30/2023
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
by Cláudio Alves
Under the right circumstances, a whisper can sound like a shout, soft caresses like barb-wire across the skin. In Kôji Fukada's cinema, a directorial style full of quiet oddities becomes the perfect context for such paradoxes to thrive ferociously. They never resolve themselves completely either, a sense of mystery prevailing until the end credits roll, whether it's the perversions of Harmonium or A Girl Missing's puzzle box plot. For his latest film, now in limited release, the Japanese auteur let go of those previous projects' violent spirits, redirecting his attention to a premise that sounds like easy-digestible melodrama. But, of course, that's not what Fukada has in store for his audience
Love Life was reportedly inspired by a romantic tune, but its final song rings barren, no rose-colored loveliness muffling the agony hiding between the notes. The sound produced is no crooning chant but a shattering,...
Under the right circumstances, a whisper can sound like a shout, soft caresses like barb-wire across the skin. In Kôji Fukada's cinema, a directorial style full of quiet oddities becomes the perfect context for such paradoxes to thrive ferociously. They never resolve themselves completely either, a sense of mystery prevailing until the end credits roll, whether it's the perversions of Harmonium or A Girl Missing's puzzle box plot. For his latest film, now in limited release, the Japanese auteur let go of those previous projects' violent spirits, redirecting his attention to a premise that sounds like easy-digestible melodrama. But, of course, that's not what Fukada has in store for his audience
Love Life was reportedly inspired by a romantic tune, but its final song rings barren, no rose-colored loveliness muffling the agony hiding between the notes. The sound produced is no crooning chant but a shattering,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Cláudio Alves
- FilmExperience
Projects by Rima Das and Emma Kawawada also among 30 titles set to be pitched.
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has unveiled the 30 titles selected for the 2023 Asian Project Market (Apm), including new works by Makbul Mubarak, Koji Fukada, Rima Das and Emma Kawawada.
The film financing event, which runs as part of Biff’s Asian Contents and Film Market, will take place from October 7-10 and comprises projects by directors who have made at least one short or full-length feature as well as producers who have been involved with at least one feature. They will conduct four...
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has unveiled the 30 titles selected for the 2023 Asian Project Market (Apm), including new works by Makbul Mubarak, Koji Fukada, Rima Das and Emma Kawawada.
The film financing event, which runs as part of Biff’s Asian Contents and Film Market, will take place from October 7-10 and comprises projects by directors who have made at least one short or full-length feature as well as producers who have been involved with at least one feature. They will conduct four...
- 8/3/2023
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Emerging as one of the most accomplished Japanese directors of the last decade, Harmonium and A Girl Missing director Kōji Fukada is back with his next feature. Love Life, which premiered at Venice Film Festival last fall, follows a couple living with their young son, when a tragic accident brings the boy’s long-lost father back into their life. Ahead of an August 11 release beginning at IFC Center, the first U.S. trailer has now arrived from Oscilloscope Laboratories.
Rory O’Connor said in his Venice review, “Love Life is one of those films that really wears its screenplay. The plot follows a mother’s attempts to come to terms with the death of a child, but it’s more about unusual paths the journey takes for her to get there. The director is Kôji Fukada, a filmmaker who studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa and cites Rohmer as a key influence. The...
Rory O’Connor said in his Venice review, “Love Life is one of those films that really wears its screenplay. The plot follows a mother’s attempts to come to terms with the death of a child, but it’s more about unusual paths the journey takes for her to get there. The director is Kôji Fukada, a filmmaker who studied under Kiyoshi Kurosawa and cites Rohmer as a key influence. The...
- 8/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2022 Venice Film Festival. Oscilloscope releases the film in select theaters on Friday, August 11.
An enormously poignant melodrama told at the volume of a broken whisper, Kōji Fukada’s “Love Life” represents a major breakthrough for a filmmaker who’s found the perfect story for his probing but distant style. In that light, it doesn’t seem incidental that “Love Life” is a story about distance — specifically the distance between people who reach for each other in the wake of a tragedy that strands them far away from themselves.
Inspired by the plaintive 1991 Akiko Yano song of the same name, “Love Life” introduces us to a domestic idyll that it disrupts with a deceptive casualness typical of Fukada’s work. The bloom comes off the rose slowly at first, and then all at once in a single moment of everyday awfulness.
An enormously poignant melodrama told at the volume of a broken whisper, Kōji Fukada’s “Love Life” represents a major breakthrough for a filmmaker who’s found the perfect story for his probing but distant style. In that light, it doesn’t seem incidental that “Love Life” is a story about distance — specifically the distance between people who reach for each other in the wake of a tragedy that strands them far away from themselves.
Inspired by the plaintive 1991 Akiko Yano song of the same name, “Love Life” introduces us to a domestic idyll that it disrupts with a deceptive casualness typical of Fukada’s work. The bloom comes off the rose slowly at first, and then all at once in a single moment of everyday awfulness.
- 9/7/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
MK2 Films has scored key territory deals on Japanese director Koji Fukada’s “Love Life,” which makes its world premiere in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
Set in contemporary Japan, “Love Life” is a character-driven film revolving around Taeko and her husband, Jiro, who are living a peaceful existence with her young son, Keita. When a tragic accident brings the boy’s long-lost father, Park, back into her life, Taeko throws herself into helping this deaf and homeless man to cope with the pain and guilt. Popular Japanese actress Fumino Kimura (“The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill”) headlines the film.
MK2 Films has now sold the movie to Teodora (Italy), Imagine (Benelux), Leopardo (Portugal), Demiurg (Ex Yugoslavia), New Cinema (Israel), Swallow Wings (Taiwan), Edko (Hong Kong), Impact Films (India) and Encore Inflight (Airlines).
Fukada’s credits include the 2016 movie “Harmonium,” which won the jury prize at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard,...
Set in contemporary Japan, “Love Life” is a character-driven film revolving around Taeko and her husband, Jiro, who are living a peaceful existence with her young son, Keita. When a tragic accident brings the boy’s long-lost father, Park, back into her life, Taeko throws herself into helping this deaf and homeless man to cope with the pain and guilt. Popular Japanese actress Fumino Kimura (“The Fable: The Killer Who Doesn’t Kill”) headlines the film.
MK2 Films has now sold the movie to Teodora (Italy), Imagine (Benelux), Leopardo (Portugal), Demiurg (Ex Yugoslavia), New Cinema (Israel), Swallow Wings (Taiwan), Edko (Hong Kong), Impact Films (India) and Encore Inflight (Airlines).
Fukada’s credits include the 2016 movie “Harmonium,” which won the jury prize at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard,...
- 9/5/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month and amongst the highlights are a Ricky D’Ambrose double bill, including his new film The Cathedral, as well as a trio of films by Maurice Pialat, Gaspar Noé’s Vortex, David Osit’s Mayor, Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master, an expansion of their Tilda Swinton series, and more.
Also including films by Tsai Ming-liang, Sky Hopinka, Nacho Vigalondo, Anton Corbijn, and more check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
September 1 – Classical Period, directed by Ted Fendt | Ted Fendt Focus
September 2 – 2 Days in New York, directed by Julie Delpy
September 3 – Timecrimes, directed by Nacho Vigalondo
September 4 – Małni – Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore, directed by Sky Hopinka
September 6 – Mayor, directed by David Osit
September 7 – Friendship’s Death, directed by Peter Wollen | The One and Only: Tilda Swinton
September 8 – Hideous, directed by Yann Gonzalez | Brief Encounters
September 9 – The Cathedral,...
Also including films by Tsai Ming-liang, Sky Hopinka, Nacho Vigalondo, Anton Corbijn, and more check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
September 1 – Classical Period, directed by Ted Fendt | Ted Fendt Focus
September 2 – 2 Days in New York, directed by Julie Delpy
September 3 – Timecrimes, directed by Nacho Vigalondo
September 4 – Małni – Towards the Ocean, Towards the Shore, directed by Sky Hopinka
September 6 – Mayor, directed by David Osit
September 7 – Friendship’s Death, directed by Peter Wollen | The One and Only: Tilda Swinton
September 8 – Hideous, directed by Yann Gonzalez | Brief Encounters
September 9 – The Cathedral,...
- 8/29/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Production has wrapped in both Singapore and Japan on Nicole Midori Woodford’s supernatural art house drama “Last Shadow at First Light.” It stars Nagase Masatoshi, Tsutsui Mariko, Peter Yu (“A Land Imagined”) and newcomer Shirata Mihaya.
The story examines the intangible nature of trauma and the ripples of its aftermath through 16-year-old Ami (Shirata) who is haunted by visions.
“This is a film borne out of darkness and loss, of a family’s frailties, set in both Singapore and Japan. Shooting between two countries, I hope to capture the diverse mise-en-scene from the urban cities to the vast transformed landscapes my characters are lost within. It has been incredible to work with my actors amidst such poignant terrain.”
A large part of the filming took place in and around the city of Rikuzentakata in Japan, an area significantly affected by the tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011.
Upon the discovery...
The story examines the intangible nature of trauma and the ripples of its aftermath through 16-year-old Ami (Shirata) who is haunted by visions.
“This is a film borne out of darkness and loss, of a family’s frailties, set in both Singapore and Japan. Shooting between two countries, I hope to capture the diverse mise-en-scene from the urban cities to the vast transformed landscapes my characters are lost within. It has been incredible to work with my actors amidst such poignant terrain.”
A large part of the filming took place in and around the city of Rikuzentakata in Japan, an area significantly affected by the tsunami and nuclear disaster of 2011.
Upon the discovery...
- 5/26/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Fabian: Going to the Dogs (Dominik Graf)
In the first hour of Dominik Graf’s Fabian: Going to the Dogs, we see the title character running around 1920s Berlin, bumping into eccentric characters at bars and nightclubs while the camera moves and cuts at a whirlwind pace. It’s a time of indulgence and recklessness for Fabian and other young people in Germany, and then he finds himself standing face to face with a young woman in the back of a club. The camera cuts to a rapid-fire montage of both characters together and in love, scenes from later in the film we haven’t gotten to yet. Up to this point, Fabian was living in the present; without warning he begins to see a future,...
Fabian: Going to the Dogs (Dominik Graf)
In the first hour of Dominik Graf’s Fabian: Going to the Dogs, we see the title character running around 1920s Berlin, bumping into eccentric characters at bars and nightclubs while the camera moves and cuts at a whirlwind pace. It’s a time of indulgence and recklessness for Fabian and other young people in Germany, and then he finds himself standing face to face with a young woman in the back of a club. The camera cuts to a rapid-fire montage of both characters together and in love, scenes from later in the film we haven’t gotten to yet. Up to this point, Fabian was living in the present; without warning he begins to see a future,...
- 4/15/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Sosuke Ikematsu is a Japanese actor, born on July 9, 1990 in Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture, and graduated from Noma Junior High School in Minami-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka in March 2006. At the age of only 13, Ikematsu landed his first film role as Higen, the young nephew of samurai leader Katsumoto, in the 2003 blockbuster hit The Last Samurai. He has since gone on to star in many feature-length films in Japan, including the recent “The Long Excuse”, ”“Killing”, “Shoplifters”, “A Girl Missing”.
“The Asian Angel” premiered as the closing film of the 2021 Osaka Asian Film Festival. The film was selected to be screened at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). Ikematsu, who plays the starring role, was also selected for one of the festival’s three Rising Star Asia Awards.
On the occasion of “The Asian Angel” screening at Nyaff and Ikematsu running for the Rising Star Asia Awards, we speak with...
“The Asian Angel” premiered as the closing film of the 2021 Osaka Asian Film Festival. The film was selected to be screened at the 20th New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff). Ikematsu, who plays the starring role, was also selected for one of the festival’s three Rising Star Asia Awards.
On the occasion of “The Asian Angel” screening at Nyaff and Ikematsu running for the Rising Star Asia Awards, we speak with...
- 9/17/2021
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
With the summer movie season underway, Cannes now on the horizon, and Tribeca kicking off this month, the film industry turns its gears again after an unprecedented near-dormancy. This month’s lineup of new releases is an eclectic mix of bold horror, mysterious romances, riveting documentaries, and much more.
15. Werewolves Within (Josh Ruben)
After making a delightful impression on Veep and I Think You Should Leave, Sam Richardson is becoming a leading man with the horror-comedy Werewolves Within, which comes from Scare Me director Josh Ruben. Also starring Milana Vayntrub, Harvey Guillén, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, and Michael Chernus, the film follows a small community that becomes trapped by a snowstorm and newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Vayntrub) must uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature.
Where to Watch: Theaters (June 25) and VOD (July 2)
14. Sweat (Magnus von Horn)
A Cannes Film Festival selection last year,...
15. Werewolves Within (Josh Ruben)
After making a delightful impression on Veep and I Think You Should Leave, Sam Richardson is becoming a leading man with the horror-comedy Werewolves Within, which comes from Scare Me director Josh Ruben. Also starring Milana Vayntrub, Harvey Guillén, Cheyenne Jackson, Michaela Watkins, and Michael Chernus, the film follows a small community that becomes trapped by a snowstorm and newly arrived forest ranger Finn (Richardson) and postal worker Cecily (Vayntrub) must uncover the truth behind a mysterious creature.
Where to Watch: Theaters (June 25) and VOD (July 2)
14. Sweat (Magnus von Horn)
A Cannes Film Festival selection last year,...
- 6/2/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
After landing on our radars with the carefully observed family drama Harmonium, Koji Fukada’s A Girl Missing received a U.S. release from Film Movement last summer and now the distributor has picked up the Japanese auteur’s latest project, the whopping 232-minute drama The Real Thing. Ahead of a June 4 release for the Cannes 2020 selection, we’re pleased to debut the new trailer. While it’ll arrive in Virtual Cinemas and VOD, if you’re in Los Angeles, the 237-minute television version will have its theatrical premiere on June 4-6 at Acropolis Cinema.
An adaptation of Mochiru Hoshisato’s manga, the film follows a floundering toy salesman who rescues a beguiling woman whose car was stuck on the train tracks. She then inadvertently whisks him into an epic series of misadventures that turn his life upside down. While his once humdrum routine was already complicated by two female co-workers,...
An adaptation of Mochiru Hoshisato’s manga, the film follows a floundering toy salesman who rescues a beguiling woman whose car was stuck on the train tracks. She then inadvertently whisks him into an epic series of misadventures that turn his life upside down. While his once humdrum routine was already complicated by two female co-workers,...
- 5/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Fine entertainment, food for thought, five world premieres and at least a touch of Japanese wackiness and warmth – this is what awaits the audience with around 80 current Japanese short and feature-length films of the 21st Nippon Connection Film Festival. After weeks of hoping and worrying, it is now certain that unfortunately the pandemic will not allow in-theater screenings in 2021 either. The largest festival for Japanese cinema worldwide will once again be held exclusively online from June 1 to 6, 2021.
All films are available online for six days throughout Germany and in some cases outside of Germany. Face-to-face talks with the filmmakers are moving into the digital realm to spark a direct exchange. For everyone whose yearning for Japan is stronger than ever, there is also Nippon Culture: the digital supporting program with over 40 interactive workshops, talks, extraordinary performances and concerts. For the first time, the Nippon Click & Collect Kiosk at the usual...
All films are available online for six days throughout Germany and in some cases outside of Germany. Face-to-face talks with the filmmakers are moving into the digital realm to spark a direct exchange. For everyone whose yearning for Japan is stronger than ever, there is also Nippon Culture: the digital supporting program with over 40 interactive workshops, talks, extraordinary performances and concerts. For the first time, the Nippon Click & Collect Kiosk at the usual...
- 5/16/2021
- by Rouven Linnarz
- AsianMoviePulse
Despite the proliferation of streaming services, it’s becoming increasingly clear that any cinephile only needs subscriptions to a few to survive. Among the top of our list are The Criterion Channel and Mubi and now they’ve each unveiled their stellar April line-ups.
Over at The Criterion Channel, highlights include spotlights on Ennio Morricone, the Marx Brothers, Isabel Sandoval, and Ramin Bahrani, plus Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Frank Borzage’s Moonrise, the brand-new restoration of Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk, and one of last year’s best films, David Osit’s Mayor.
At Mubi (where we’re offering a 30-day trial), they’ll have the exclusive streaming premiere of two of the finest festival films from last year’s circuit, Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Labyrinth of Cinema, plus Philippe Garrel’s latest The Salt of Tears, along with films from Terry Gilliam, George A. Romero,...
Over at The Criterion Channel, highlights include spotlights on Ennio Morricone, the Marx Brothers, Isabel Sandoval, and Ramin Bahrani, plus Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, Frank Borzage’s Moonrise, the brand-new restoration of Joyce Chopra’s Smooth Talk, and one of last year’s best films, David Osit’s Mayor.
At Mubi (where we’re offering a 30-day trial), they’ll have the exclusive streaming premiere of two of the finest festival films from last year’s circuit, Cristi Puiu’s Malmkrog and Nobuhiko Obayashi’s Labyrinth of Cinema, plus Philippe Garrel’s latest The Salt of Tears, along with films from Terry Gilliam, George A. Romero,...
- 3/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Both films to receive 2021 theatrical release followed by home entertainment, digital.
Film Movement has acquired Dutch genre festival films The Columnist and Tailgate and plans 2021 US theatrical releases for both.
Darkly comedic revenge story The Columnist starring Katja Herbers and played in official selection at Montreal’s Fantasia Fest and London’s FrightFest.
Herbers plays a journalist besieged by trolls who decides to strike back. Ivo van Aart directed from a screenplay by Daan Windhoorst.
Sitges selection Tailgate explores the consequences when a man on a road trip with his family angers a psychopath in a road rage incident.
Lodewijk Crijns...
Film Movement has acquired Dutch genre festival films The Columnist and Tailgate and plans 2021 US theatrical releases for both.
Darkly comedic revenge story The Columnist starring Katja Herbers and played in official selection at Montreal’s Fantasia Fest and London’s FrightFest.
Herbers plays a journalist besieged by trolls who decides to strike back. Ivo van Aart directed from a screenplay by Daan Windhoorst.
Sitges selection Tailgate explores the consequences when a man on a road trip with his family angers a psychopath in a road rage incident.
Lodewijk Crijns...
- 12/15/2020
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
What’s New on DVD in November: ‘Schitt’s Creek,’ ‘Weathering With You,’ ‘Essential Fellini’ and More
New Indie
Big month for Charlie Plummer, as the young star of “Lean on Pete” has lead roles in two critically-acclaimed films making their way to DVD and Blu-ray: “Words on Bathroom Walls” (Lionsgate) stars Plummer as a teenager overcoming a mental illness diagnosis to chase his dreams of becoming a chef. The drama’s impressive ensemble includes Taylor Russell (“Waves”), Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb, Beth Grant, Molly Parker and Walton Goggins. In the YA adaptation “Spontaneous” (Paramount Home Entertainment), Plummer and Katherine Langford (“13 Reasons Why”) play high school seniors who manage to find love despite the fact that many of their classmates seem to be unexpectedly exploding.
New Foreign
The team behind the global anime smash “Your Name” returns with another transcendent love story in “Weathering With You” (Gkids/Shout Factory), an epic saga of rain, young love and potato-chip fried rice that includes the English-language dub that...
Big month for Charlie Plummer, as the young star of “Lean on Pete” has lead roles in two critically-acclaimed films making their way to DVD and Blu-ray: “Words on Bathroom Walls” (Lionsgate) stars Plummer as a teenager overcoming a mental illness diagnosis to chase his dreams of becoming a chef. The drama’s impressive ensemble includes Taylor Russell (“Waves”), Andy Garcia, AnnaSophia Robb, Beth Grant, Molly Parker and Walton Goggins. In the YA adaptation “Spontaneous” (Paramount Home Entertainment), Plummer and Katherine Langford (“13 Reasons Why”) play high school seniors who manage to find love despite the fact that many of their classmates seem to be unexpectedly exploding.
New Foreign
The team behind the global anime smash “Your Name” returns with another transcendent love story in “Weathering With You” (Gkids/Shout Factory), an epic saga of rain, young love and potato-chip fried rice that includes the English-language dub that...
- 11/29/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
New section introduced in response to Covid-19 travel restrictions will screen 32 films of which 25 are world premieres.
Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the full line-up for its 33rd edition, including the 32 titles selected for its Tokyo Premiere section, introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.
Unlike many major festivals this year, TIFF will be going forward with in-person screenings at its usual venues, but has replaced three of its major sections – Competition, Asian Future and Japanese Cinema Splash – with the new Tokyo Premiere section.
The section, which includes 25 world premieres, “has a large focus on supporting young filmmakers,...
Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) has announced the full line-up for its 33rd edition, including the 32 titles selected for its Tokyo Premiere section, introduced in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions.
Unlike many major festivals this year, TIFF will be going forward with in-person screenings at its usual venues, but has replaced three of its major sections – Competition, Asian Future and Japanese Cinema Splash – with the new Tokyo Premiere section.
The section, which includes 25 world premieres, “has a large focus on supporting young filmmakers,...
- 9/29/2020
- by Matt Schley
- ScreenDaily
Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” leads the race of this year’s Asian Film Awards, which will be hosted in his home country South Korea for the first time since the prize ceremony’s inception in 2007. The acclaimed drama picked up 10 nominations, including best film, best director and best screenplay.
“Parasite” was closely followed by Wang Xiaoshuai’s drama “So Long, My Son” from mainland China, and Taiwan drama “A Sun” by Chung Mong-hong. They each scored seven nominations including best film and best director, organizers of the 14th Asian Film Awards announced on Wednesday. A total of 39 films from 11 countries and regions are competing for the awards.
Founded by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the AFAs have been staged in Hong Kong and Macau since their launch. In 2013, three major film festivals in Asia — Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo — joined hands to launch the non-profit Afa Academy,...
“Parasite” was closely followed by Wang Xiaoshuai’s drama “So Long, My Son” from mainland China, and Taiwan drama “A Sun” by Chung Mong-hong. They each scored seven nominations including best film and best director, organizers of the 14th Asian Film Awards announced on Wednesday. A total of 39 films from 11 countries and regions are competing for the awards.
Founded by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the AFAs have been staged in Hong Kong and Macau since their launch. In 2013, three major film festivals in Asia — Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo — joined hands to launch the non-profit Afa Academy,...
- 9/9/2020
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
The Asian Film Awards Academy has decided to announce the winners online on October 14.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards (Afa) – hosted by Busan International Film Festival and the first to be held outside of Hong Kong and Macau – with ten nominations including best film and best director.
The Asian Film Awards Academy (Afaa), comprising the Hong Kong, Tokyo and Busan international film festivals, announced during last year’s Busan that the 14th Afa ceremony would be held in the South Korean city this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers...
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards (Afa) – hosted by Busan International Film Festival and the first to be held outside of Hong Kong and Macau – with ten nominations including best film and best director.
The Asian Film Awards Academy (Afaa), comprising the Hong Kong, Tokyo and Busan international film festivals, announced during last year’s Busan that the 14th Afa ceremony would be held in the South Korean city this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers...
- 9/9/2020
- by Jean Noh
- ScreenDaily
Film Movement has acquired North American rights to “Rose Plays Julie,” an Irish psychological thriller directed by Christine Molloy and Joe Lawlor. The movie world premiered at the London Film Festival.
Starring Ann Skelly (“The Nevers”), Orla Brady and Aidan Gillen, “Rose Plays Julie” revolves around young woman seeking her biological mother who journeys into dangerous territory. The movie follows Rose, a young student who has enjoyed a loving relationship with her adoptive parents but feels the urge to travel from Dublin to London to confront her biological mother who has no wish to have any contact.
The movie will be released theatrically by Film Movement during the first quarter of 2021, followed by a release on all home entertainment and digital platforms. The announcement was made by Michael Rosenberg, president of Film Movement and Carl Clifton, president of Hyde Park International, which is handling worldwide rights.
“Rose Plays Julie” is...
Starring Ann Skelly (“The Nevers”), Orla Brady and Aidan Gillen, “Rose Plays Julie” revolves around young woman seeking her biological mother who journeys into dangerous territory. The movie follows Rose, a young student who has enjoyed a loving relationship with her adoptive parents but feels the urge to travel from Dublin to London to confront her biological mother who has no wish to have any contact.
The movie will be released theatrically by Film Movement during the first quarter of 2021, followed by a release on all home entertainment and digital platforms. The announcement was made by Michael Rosenberg, president of Film Movement and Carl Clifton, president of Hyde Park International, which is handling worldwide rights.
“Rose Plays Julie” is...
- 9/4/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
With over 35+ films, Camera Japan Festival is proud to announce their full and diverse programme, combining films ranging from de newest and best Japanese arthouse, animation, documentaries, short films and experimental cinema.
The 15th edition of the festival will be opened at LantarenVenster on September 24th with the Dutch premiere of Tanada Yuki’s Romance Doll. The yearly unofficial kick-off will be held on September 23rd at Worm with a screening of the experimental The Day of Destruction by Toyoda Toshiaki. From 1 to 4 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam’s LAB111.
With five international and eight European premieres, the festival consists of a special and exclusive programme. Films such as 108: Revenge and Adventure of Goro Kaiba, Fancy, Haruka’s Pottery, Mother and The Other Home, will have their first screenings outside of Japan here at Camera Japan Festival.
As usual, animation film will be present at Camera Japan Festival.
The 15th edition of the festival will be opened at LantarenVenster on September 24th with the Dutch premiere of Tanada Yuki’s Romance Doll. The yearly unofficial kick-off will be held on September 23rd at Worm with a screening of the experimental The Day of Destruction by Toyoda Toshiaki. From 1 to 4 October, the festival moves to Amsterdam’s LAB111.
With five international and eight European premieres, the festival consists of a special and exclusive programme. Films such as 108: Revenge and Adventure of Goro Kaiba, Fancy, Haruka’s Pottery, Mother and The Other Home, will have their first screenings outside of Japan here at Camera Japan Festival.
As usual, animation film will be present at Camera Japan Festival.
- 9/2/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
Social unrest and the Covid-19 pandemic have not been able to stop the sixth edition of the Bangkok Asean Film Festival from taking place as an in-person event. It runs this week Sept. 3-6, 2020.
The four-day festival features a line-up of films from Asean member nations including “Rom” by Tran Thanh Huy from Vietnam, “The Science of Fictions” by Yosep Anggi Noen from Indonesia and “The Long Walk” by Mattie Do from Laos. China’s “Balloon” by Pema Tseden and Koji Fukada’s “A Girl Missing” from Japan will also be screened. The festival will also present a lifetime achievement award to veteran actress Petchara Chaowarat, who appeared in 300 films during the golden age of Thai cinema from the 1960s to the end of 1970s.
Fifteen short films competing for the best short, jury prize and special mention will be presented as part of the Asean Short Film Competition. Award...
The four-day festival features a line-up of films from Asean member nations including “Rom” by Tran Thanh Huy from Vietnam, “The Science of Fictions” by Yosep Anggi Noen from Indonesia and “The Long Walk” by Mattie Do from Laos. China’s “Balloon” by Pema Tseden and Koji Fukada’s “A Girl Missing” from Japan will also be screened. The festival will also present a lifetime achievement award to veteran actress Petchara Chaowarat, who appeared in 300 films during the golden age of Thai cinema from the 1960s to the end of 1970s.
Fifteen short films competing for the best short, jury prize and special mention will be presented as part of the Asean Short Film Competition. Award...
- 8/31/2020
- by Vivienne Chow
- Variety Film + TV
The Tokyo International Film Festival will shine a spotlight on the work of internationally-acclaimed Japanese director Koji Fukada during its 33rd edition. The festival will be held in front of live audiences Oct. 31 – Nov. 9, 2020.
Fukada, who graduated from The Film School of Tokyo, has worked in both animation and live action film. His debut feature “Human Comedy in Tokyo,” played at the Rome and Osaka festivals. He achieved wider acclaim in 2010 with “Hospitalité,” which appeared in the Tokyo festival that year. His “Harmonium” premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2016 and claimed the Jury Prize.
Since then, Fukada has made “The Man From the Sea” (2018), followed by the Locarno International Film Festival selection “A Girl Missing” (2019). His latest film, “The Real Thing” was named to the Cannes Film Festival’s 2020 Official Selection.
“The stories depicted by Koji Fukada always reflect the real world. His films express the relationship between...
Fukada, who graduated from The Film School of Tokyo, has worked in both animation and live action film. His debut feature “Human Comedy in Tokyo,” played at the Rome and Osaka festivals. He achieved wider acclaim in 2010 with “Hospitalité,” which appeared in the Tokyo festival that year. His “Harmonium” premiered in Un Certain Regard at Cannes in 2016 and claimed the Jury Prize.
Since then, Fukada has made “The Man From the Sea” (2018), followed by the Locarno International Film Festival selection “A Girl Missing” (2019). His latest film, “The Real Thing” was named to the Cannes Film Festival’s 2020 Official Selection.
“The stories depicted by Koji Fukada always reflect the real world. His films express the relationship between...
- 8/26/2020
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Festival will screen Fukada’s The Real Thing, selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection, as well as his earlier films.
This year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will highlight the work of Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada, who has been selected as the Director in Focus in the festival’s Japan Now section.
Fukada has been gaining increasing international attention, with his 2016 Harmonium winning the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2016, and his latest film, The Real Thing, being selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection.
He also recently launched the Mini Theater Aid initiative with fellow directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi,...
This year’s Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) will highlight the work of Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada, who has been selected as the Director in Focus in the festival’s Japan Now section.
Fukada has been gaining increasing international attention, with his 2016 Harmonium winning the Jury Prize in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2016, and his latest film, The Real Thing, being selected for Cannes’ 2020 Official Selection.
He also recently launched the Mini Theater Aid initiative with fellow directors, including Ryusuke Hamaguchi,...
- 8/26/2020
- by 89¦Liz Shackleton¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
In what’s shaping up to be the strangest weekend yet since the coronavirus outbreak forced American theaters to close, the biggest release is Beyoncé’s visual album, “Black Is King,” a visionary feature-length companion to her 2019 album, in the tradition of “Lemonade.”
A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively planted their flag on July 31, only to delay amid the latest spike of infections. But the strategy is changing lately, as Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” moves forward with its release … abroad. Now “Tenet” and other titles are weighing a similar international-first strategy.
That leaves U.S. audiences with two very different options: Buy a ticket and fly abroad to see the tentpoles you’re missing (assuming foreign nations let Americans enter the country), or make do with the virtual releases that remain. In some cases, films are still pushing for limited theatrical releases among...
A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively planted their flag on July 31, only to delay amid the latest spike of infections. But the strategy is changing lately, as Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” moves forward with its release … abroad. Now “Tenet” and other titles are weighing a similar international-first strategy.
That leaves U.S. audiences with two very different options: Buy a ticket and fly abroad to see the tentpoles you’re missing (assuming foreign nations let Americans enter the country), or make do with the virtual releases that remain. In some cases, films are still pushing for limited theatrical releases among...
- 7/31/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
A Girl Missing, the English-language title of Fukada Kôji's follow-up to 2016’s well-received Harmonium, is something of a misnomer or feint. While a girl, a teenage girl, does go missing in A Girl Missing, she reappears a week later, physically, if not emotionally or mentally, unharmed, the victim of an impromptu kidnapping by Tatsuo (Sudo Ren), the introverted nephew of Fukada’s central character, Shirakawa Ichiko (Tsutsui Mariko), giving a multi-layered, nuanced performance), a middle-aged, home-care nurse and the kidnapped girl’s occasional tutor. Less a suspense drama or mystery thriller, A Girl Missing unfolds as an oblique, elliptical character study, a complex, often contradictory exploration of the devastating consequences of Ichiko’s relationship with Tatsuo, the kidnapped girl’s family, and Ichiko’s seemingly isolated decision to keep her connection...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/31/2020
- Screen Anarchy
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Black Is King (Beyoncé)
Four years ago, Beyoncé dropped the film version of Lemonade, which brought together directors Kahlil Joseph, Jonas Åkerlund, Mark Romanek, Melina Matsoukas, and more to deliver a visual album that, like many of her works, had an immense cultural impact. She is now returning with Black Is King, a film in production for an entire year that reimagines the tale of The Lion King through the perspective of the Black experience. Now available on Disney+, we imagine it’ll be the most-watched film of the weekend.
Where to Stream: Disney+
Bull (Annie Silverstein)
There’s not much to do around Kristyl’s (Amber Havard) hard...
Black Is King (Beyoncé)
Four years ago, Beyoncé dropped the film version of Lemonade, which brought together directors Kahlil Joseph, Jonas Åkerlund, Mark Romanek, Melina Matsoukas, and more to deliver a visual album that, like many of her works, had an immense cultural impact. She is now returning with Black Is King, a film in production for an entire year that reimagines the tale of The Lion King through the perspective of the Black experience. Now available on Disney+, we imagine it’ll be the most-watched film of the weekend.
Where to Stream: Disney+
Bull (Annie Silverstein)
There’s not much to do around Kristyl’s (Amber Havard) hard...
- 7/31/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Nothing is as it seems in A Girl Missing, the latest feature from writer and director Kôji Fukada. Mariko Tsutsui stars as Ichiko, a visiting nurse who becomes a suspect in the kidnapping of Saki (Miyu Ozawa), a young student she had been helping study for school exams. Flashbacks follow Ichiko before and after the incident as she discards her past and her fiancé for a solitary life in a new neighborhood. What happens to Saki and her older sister Motoko (Mikako Ichikawa) unfolds simultaneously through two timelines.
Tsutsui also appeared in Fukada’s Harmonium, which won Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes. Fukada has been a member of the Seinendan theater group, founded by Oriza Hirata, since 2005. Seinendan actors, as well as Hirata’s theories about “quiet drama,” have figured significantly in Fukada’s work. (His 2015 sci-fi drama Sayonara was based on a Hirata play.)
We spoke with...
Tsutsui also appeared in Fukada’s Harmonium, which won Un Certain Regard Jury Prize at Cannes. Fukada has been a member of the Seinendan theater group, founded by Oriza Hirata, since 2005. Seinendan actors, as well as Hirata’s theories about “quiet drama,” have figured significantly in Fukada’s work. (His 2015 sci-fi drama Sayonara was based on a Hirata play.)
We spoke with...
- 7/30/2020
- by Daniel Eagan
- The Film Stage
"It had to come out eventually." Film Movement has debuted an official trailer for a Japanese indie drama titled A Girl Missing, the latest from acclaimed Japanese filmmaker Koji Fukada. This film first premiered at the Locarno and Toronto Film Festivals last year, and stopped by a number of international festivals throughout the fall. Koji Fukada's followup to the critically-acclaimed Harmonium, A Girl Missing "is a satisfying slow-burn drama expertly told." A home-care nurse's relationship with the family she has spent years working for is threatened when her nephew is arrested for kidnapping their daughter. Japanese filmmakers love to tell dramatic stories about family and interpersonal relationships with devastating twists and turns. The film stars Mariko Tsutsui, Mikako Ichikawa, and Sôsuke Ikematsu. This looks like it starts out rather slow & calm and gets extremely intense as it goes on. Here's the official US trailer (+ two posters) for Kôji Fukada's A Girl Missing,...
- 7/29/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
After gaining international acclaim with his Cannes prize-winning family drama “Harmonium,” Japanese director Kōji Fukada returned with “A Girl Missing,” reuniting with actress Mariko Tsutsui for a slow-burning mystery thriller which premiered at Locarno Film Festival last year before going on to play at the Toronto International Film Festival and New York Film Festival. And now, the film’s (virtual) release approaches this Friday July 31st.
Read More: ‘Martin Margiela: In His Own Words’ Trailer: The Elusive Fashion Genius Tells His Story In New Doc
In “Harmonium”, Mariko played a woman whose life was destroyed by tragic circumstances beyond her control.
Continue reading ‘A Girl Missing’ Trailer: New Kōji Fukada Film Promises Slow-Burning Mystery at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Martin Margiela: In His Own Words’ Trailer: The Elusive Fashion Genius Tells His Story In New Doc
In “Harmonium”, Mariko played a woman whose life was destroyed by tragic circumstances beyond her control.
Continue reading ‘A Girl Missing’ Trailer: New Kōji Fukada Film Promises Slow-Burning Mystery at The Playlist.
- 7/28/2020
- by Kambole Campbell
- The Playlist
One of the most intriguing careers to track this past decade has been that of Kōji Fukada. Gaining international acclaim with his Cannes prize-winning family drama Harmonium, the Japanese director followed it up with A Girl Missing, a slow-burn mystery thriller that premiered at Locarno Film Festival last year and went on to play at the Toronto International Film Festival and the New York Film Festival. Now set for a release in Virtual Cinemas nationwide beginning this Friday, we’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer courtesy of Film Movement.
The film follows two timelines, both featuring Mariko Tsutsui’s character. In one, she works as a home nurse for a family, but one of their granddaughters goes missing and someone in the family may be involved. In another timeline, she forms a relationship with a younger hairdresser. One of the film’s many pleasures lies in Fukada’s specific...
The film follows two timelines, both featuring Mariko Tsutsui’s character. In one, she works as a home nurse for a family, but one of their granddaughters goes missing and someone in the family may be involved. In another timeline, she forms a relationship with a younger hairdresser. One of the film’s many pleasures lies in Fukada’s specific...
- 7/28/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Guilt by Dissociation: Fukada Explores the Burden of Others in Exemplary Melodrama
Director Kôji Fukada presents a melodrama hung on absurdity for his fourth feature, A Girl Missing, another Dostoevskyian tale collapsing the lines between crime and punishment into a complex grey area of juxtaposing social norms and self-serving desires. Reuniting with his Harmonium (2016) lead Mariko Tsutsui, Fukada creates another emotionally palpable tale about perspective. The original Japanese title, Yokogao, means “side profile,” and as we come to learn, each angle of this unique melodrama arrives with deep-seated complexities, including that of its protagonist, an affable healthcare worker whose relationship to both the perpetrator and the victim in a crime which sparks significant media attention places her in a catch-22 situation.…...
Director Kôji Fukada presents a melodrama hung on absurdity for his fourth feature, A Girl Missing, another Dostoevskyian tale collapsing the lines between crime and punishment into a complex grey area of juxtaposing social norms and self-serving desires. Reuniting with his Harmonium (2016) lead Mariko Tsutsui, Fukada creates another emotionally palpable tale about perspective. The original Japanese title, Yokogao, means “side profile,” and as we come to learn, each angle of this unique melodrama arrives with deep-seated complexities, including that of its protagonist, an affable healthcare worker whose relationship to both the perpetrator and the victim in a crime which sparks significant media attention places her in a catch-22 situation.…...
- 7/27/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
The Asian Film Festival, directed by Antonio Termenini, presents a selection of the best of Asian research and independent cinema, with particular attention to debuts and young directors of the rich Newcomers section.
The seventeenth edition of the Asian Film Festival presents 27 feature films and 3 short films from 10 East Asian countries and will take place, from July 30 to August 5, at Casa del Cinema, Villa Borghese Park, Rome.
The afternoon screenings will be in the comfort of the Deluxe Room, the evening ones in the Ettore Scola Open Air Theater, to enjoy the films in serenity and in the cool of the park.
8 feature films from the Philippines will celebrate 100 years of Filipino cinema with the best of the most recent productions.The closing evening also will feature the Filipino “Kalel, 15” by Jun Lana, the story of a difficult adolescence in the Manila slums. Saturday 1 August will be Korean Day – a...
The seventeenth edition of the Asian Film Festival presents 27 feature films and 3 short films from 10 East Asian countries and will take place, from July 30 to August 5, at Casa del Cinema, Villa Borghese Park, Rome.
The afternoon screenings will be in the comfort of the Deluxe Room, the evening ones in the Ettore Scola Open Air Theater, to enjoy the films in serenity and in the cool of the park.
8 feature films from the Philippines will celebrate 100 years of Filipino cinema with the best of the most recent productions.The closing evening also will feature the Filipino “Kalel, 15” by Jun Lana, the story of a difficult adolescence in the Manila slums. Saturday 1 August will be Korean Day – a...
- 7/26/2020
- by Adriana Rosati
- AsianMoviePulse
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.